HEC French Society course and the Cluny Museum of Medieval arts
Learning is a life-long joy, and self-initiated lessons outside the classroom nourishes the mind and flourishes the heart. The French Society course in HEC this semester offered me glimpses of the transformation of French society through politics, art, literature, and individuals back in time. From the Romanesque period, the Gothic period, the Renaissance, and throughout the two world wars, I traveled with interesting narratives of various moments in time.
“The best way to learn about a society is through appreciating the language, literature, arts, music, and architecture.” I’m really grateful for the introduction to French culture through retracing narratives in history. Back in high school, history class was regarded as a tedious memorization process retracing political events back in time. The hundred years war, the revolutions, and the demographic divide felt worlds away from me — it literally was. Yet, the French culture course in HEC manifested the vibrancy and instantaneous connections of history and culture with our everyday lives. While introducing the Romanesque period, I thought about the sites I visited: the Arles Arena, the Cluny Roman baths, the Arenes de Lutece in Paris, and the heavy arches that can be traced in many cathedrals today. When we went onto the Gothic and Renaissance period, the Medieval Loire chateaus, the various Notre Dame cathedrals, and the artistic influences were brought into view. In addition to arts and architecture, various individuals highlighted moments in time with their life stories. “History lies between the interaction of individuals and time”, and as individuals fade away with time, their stories are timeless with inspirations and enchantment.
It is after this semester in France that I realized how understanding historical developments and appreciating the fine arts intensifies impressions of the sites visited. “The experience of a city is refracted by cultural expectations”, as Parisian buildings (The Pantheon, the Notre Dame, the Louvre, Palais Bourbon, the Sacre-Coeur, the Conceirgie, The Sorbonne…), Parisian streets, Haussmannized residences, royal Jardins, and numerous historical sites ubiquitous in the cityscape reminds us of the collective memory of history. Paris itself is one gigantic site of memory, and as De Amicis noted in 1878, that “one never sees Paris for the first time; one always sees it again.” A fusion of modern elements and fine preservation of historical monuments manifests Paris’s timeless charm: as your thirst for knowledge on historical recollections of arts, history, and philosophy can always be found in one of the museums, art galleries, quaint bookstores, or simply from people watching in open gardens as you reflect and recollect.
I visited the Cluny museum displaying various forms of arts from the medieval ages. On display were secular objects ranging from the 2nd Century (Ivory, Bronze, and Gold), medieval tapestries, and sacred statues demonstrating highlights of medieval art. Art offered dialogues between East and West, as craftsmen preserved their skill despite changing of political regimes and collapse of historical empires. It portrayed the vibrancy of intellectual and artistic creativity, with hopes, imagination, and dedication of the people condensed in the objects that they create.
One of the highlights of the museum was “La Dame a la licorne” (15C), “The Lady and the Unicorn”, six vibrant tapestries woven in wool and silk. It portrays the five senses (and an additional sense of desire) of human, with vibrant colors, delicate portrayals of imagery, and has inspired endless interpretations in literary worlds. It marks the cross roads of medieval art and Renaissance art, and I really enjoyed the vibrancy and harmony of nature elements portrayed in the red background. The flowers, trees, fruits, animals, and the lady were all delicately interwoven, harmoniously presenting vibrancy and tranquility within the huge tapestries.
The five senses were portrayed as a gateway to the human soul, granting access to knowledge. Nature teaches with the subtle transformation of four seasons, history teaches the rises and fall of political conquests, art teaches with condensed moments in time, while life teaches with experience that accumulates to wisdom and personal growth. Each day is a new learning opportunity. I am humbled by life lessons, grateful for second chances, and appreciative to each novel pursuit. It is a joy to navigate in the fascinating classroom of life :)
